1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method for feeding bar-like materials, such as cigarettes or filter plugs, to a working machine, such as a transporting machine, and also relates to an apparatus for carrying out the method.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In known bar-like material feeding apparatuses which are disclosed, for example, in Japanese Examined Patent Publication No. 48-34919, or Japanese Examined Utility Model Publication Nos. 56-52880 and 57-28640, bar-like materials fall by their weight into a hopper which is provided on a horizontally extending belt conveyor and which carries thereon bar-like material receiving boxes in an inverted state, through bottom openings of the receiving boxes, so that the materials are fed onto the belt conveyor through the bottom of the hopper.
However, in the known apparatuses as mentioned above, a receiving box arranging station where the receiving boxes are arranged in an inverted state and a feeding station where the fall of the bar-like materials takes place are located at the same position, and accordingly, the commencement of the feeding operation of the bar-like materials takes place only after a blank box which has finished the discharge of the bar-like materials is discharged and then a subsequent receiving box is arranged in an inverted state on the hopper. These are, accordingly, time consuming operations. In addition to the foregoing, since the materials in the receiving boxes, fall by their weight to feed the same, it is rather difficult to increase the amount of materials to be fed at one time or to feed the materials at high speed.
Furthermore, since the materials fall by their weight through the bottom openings of the receiving boxes onto the stack of materials which have been already fed and stored in the hopper, the upper surface of the stack tends to be irregular. Accordingly, the materials which fall onto the stack may be caught by the convex portion of the irregular upper surface of the stack or may come in the concave portion of the upper surface of the stack so that they are inclined with respect to the vertical. As a result of this, no smooth and quick feed can be expected.